Printing paper and method for printing

ABSTRACT

A method of printing an image on a printing portion of a printing paper using a printer so as to eliminate visible margins. The sheet of printing paper is conveyed within the printer by nipping margins of the sheet. After printing, the printing portion is detached from the printing paper along a cut line. Namely, a print having no margins and no nip markings is formed. Therefore, cutting position controlling mechanisms and paper cutting mechanisms as used in conventional printers are not necessary, and the structure of the printer is thereby made simple. Accordingly, since margins can be eliminated by using a simple structure, photographic printers and the like in particular are made compact and inexpensive.

This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/547,877 filed Apr. 12,2000; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a printing paper and a printer, andmore particularly to a printing paper and a method for printing foreliminating, by simple means, margins formed on a printing paper havinga standard size.

2. Description of the Related Art

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (hereinafter, “JP-A”) No. 5-293794and the like have proposed means for eliminating margins which areformed on printing papers having standard sizes. This prior artautomatically cuts off margins and includes a cutting positioncontrolling mechanism for detecting margins and a paper cuttingmechanism for cutting off the detected margins.

Margins are provided on printing papers so that, after an image has beenprinted on a printing paper by a printer, margins of the printing paperare nipped by a conveying device and the printing paper is therebyconveyed. If, at the time of conveying the printing paper, a portion ofa printing paper with an image thereon is nipped, defects may be formedon the image. Therefore, it is preferable to provide margins fornipping.

On the other hand, the reasons for cutting off margins are thefollowing. First, in the case of photographs and the like, for example,white margins may turn yellow with the passage of time, causing theappearance of photographs to deteriorate. Moreover, generally,photographs having no margins are considered to be better in appearancethan those having margins.

However, since it is necessary to include a cutting position controllingmechanism and a paper cutting mechanism, the structure of the aboveprior art is complicated. If these mechanisms are provided within aphotographic printer in particular, there is a drawback in that theentire printer becomes large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is toprovide a printing paper and a method for printing for eliminatingmargins of photographs and the like by using a simple structure.

A first aspect of the present invention is a printing paper for forminga print having no margins, comprising: a printing material having atleast one printing portion; a base material for supporting the printingmaterial; and an adhesive layer which removably adheres the printingmaterial to the base material, the adhesive layer having substantiallyno adhesive strength remaining on the at least one printing portionafter the at least one printing portion is detached from the printingmaterial, wherein the at least one printing portion is detached from theprinting material so as to be formed as at least one print.

A second aspect of the present invention is a printing paper for forminga print having no margins, comprising: a printing material having atleast one printing portion; a base material for supporting the printingmaterial; and an adhesive layer which removably adheres the printingmaterial to the base material, the adhesive layer having an adhesivestrength with respect to the printing material relatively smaller thanan adhesive strength with respect to the base material, wherein the atleast one printing portion is detached from the printing material so asto be formed as at least one print.

A third aspect of the present invention is a method for printing animage on a printing paper by a printer, comprising the steps of:accommodating a printing paper in an accommodating portion; conveyingthe printing paper from the accommodating portion to a recording deviceby a conveying device by nipping margins of the printing paper; printingan image on the printing paper by the recording device; conveying theprinting paper from the recording device to a discharging portion by theconveying device by nipping margins of the printing paper; anddischarging the printing paper with an image printed thereon to thedischarging portion, wherein the printing paper includes at least oneprinting portion and the margins, and a print is formed by detaching theat least one printing portion from the printing paper after the printingpaper with an image printed thereon is discharged to the dischargingportion.

In accordance with the present invention, after printing processing hasbeen carried out on a printing portion of a printing material, theprinting portion is detached from the printing material, and a printhaving no margins is thereby formed. Therefore, a cutting positioncontrolling mechanism and a paper cutting mechanism as used in the priorart are not necessary, and the structure of the printer is thereby madesimple. In other words, in accordance with the present invention, sincemargins can be eliminated by using a simple structure, photographicprinters and the like in particular can be made compact.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a printing paper in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the printing paper along line 2—2 inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view which schematically shows the overallstructure of a printer in which an image has been printed on theprinting paper in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a modification of cut lines in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a modification of the number of sheets inFIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a modification of the number of the sheetsin FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of adhesivestrength in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of adhesivestrength in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views respectively showing amodification of the thickness of a printing material shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a printing paper and a method for printing in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention will be described withreference to drawings.

A printing paper 10 is, for example, the standard A6 size (the so-calledpostal card size). As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of image-forming portions12 (hereinafter referred to as “sheets”), each having a size somewhatsmaller than the A7 size, is formed on a printing material 18 asprinting portions of the printing paper 10. Namely, the pair of sheets12 is formed on a pair of portions of the printing material 18 which arerespectively defined by folding the printing paper 10 in two along atransverse direction of the printing paper 10.

Thin and straight cut lines 20 are formed, as separating means, on theprinting material 18. These cut lines 20 serve to separate the sheets 12from the printing material 18.

A printing area 13 including the sheets 12 is provided on the printingmaterial 18. The printing area 13 is an area on which an image isprinted, and is defined in the transverse direction of the printingmaterial 18. A printing area width L₁ is a width extending along thetransverse direction of the printing material 18 of the printing area13, and is wider than a sheet width L₂ extending along a longitudinaldirection of the sheets 12. The printing area 13 includes sheets 12 anda margin width L₃ provided at both ends of the sheets 12 in thelongitudinal direction thereof. In accordance with the presentembodiment, since the margin width L₃ (i.e., a play portion) is providedat each end of the sheets 12, even if the printing material 18 isdisplaced when being conveyed, the printing of images onto the sheets 12can be effected in a more stable manner.

A margin portion width L₄ which includes the margin width L₃ issubstantially the same as the widths of conventional margin portions. Inthe present embodiment, portions of the printing paper 10 whose widthcorresponds to the margin portion width L₄ are nipped in a longitudinaldirection of the printing paper 10 by a conveying device 25 of a printer22, which will be described later, and the printing paper 10 is therebyconveyed. Further, in the present invention, the printing area width L₁may be made the same as the sheet width L₂ of the sheet 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, the printing paper 10 is integrally formed in such amanner that a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 16 serving as anadhesive layer is provided on a base material 14, and the printingmaterial 18 is superposed on the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 16.That is, the base material 14 and the printing material 18 have an evensurface configuration. A pressure sensitive adhesive is uniformlyapplied over the whole surface of the base material 14, thereby formingthe pressure sensitive adhesive layer 16 between the base material 14and the printing material 18. Further, the cut line 20 provided so as toseparate the sheet 12 runs from the top surface of the printing material18 to the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 16. Therefore, the pressuresensitive adhesive layer 16 is exposed by separating the sheet 12.

Conventionally known pressure sensitive adhesives (adhesives whichexhibit adhesive property only when a predetermined amount of pressure(high pressure) is applied thereto; for example, adhesives which leaveno traces on the sheet 12 when the sheet 12 is peeled from the pressuresensitive adhesive layer 16) are used as the pressure sensitive adhesivelayer 16. The printing material 18 is adhered to the base material 14when pressure is applied to the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 16.For example, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 16 is formed by thefollowing processes. First, two parts by weight of styrene and 10 partsby weight of methyl methacrylate are subjected to graft copolymerizationwith respect to 10 parts by weight of natural rubber to obtain naturalrubber latex. Then, five parts by weight of terpene resin tackifier isadded to this natural rubber latex to obtain a base for the pressuresensitive adhesive. Sixty parts by weight of silica gel having anaverage particle size of 8 μm is added to 100 parts by weight of thebase for the pressure sensitive adhesive to obtain a pressure sensitiveadhesive composition, and this pressure sensitive adhesive compositionis coated with a coating weight of 2 g/m². Further, once the printingmaterial 18 is peeled from the base material 14, the pressure sensitiveadhesive does not remain on the printing material 18. (Namely, theadhesive strength with respect to the printing material 18 is lost.)Therefore, the printing material 18 cannot be adhered to the basematerial 14 a second time. Furthermore, the thickness T₁ of the printingpaper 10 is the sum of the thickness T₂ of the base material 14, thethickness T₃ of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 16, and thethickness T₄ of the printing material 18.

As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 22 is a device for forming an image bythermally recording an image onto the printing paper 10 and fixing therecorded image by using light. An accommodating tray 24 foraccommodating the printing paper 10 is disposed at the front of theprinter 22. A support 26 for the printing paper 10 is formed on theupper surface of the accommodating tray 24.

Moreover, a conveying device 25 for conveying the printing paper 10 isdisposed within the printer 22 at a position opposing the accommodatingtray 24. The printing paper 10 is conveyed in such a manner thatportions of the printing material 18 each corresponding to the marginportion width L₄ are nipped in the longitudinal direction. Thisconveying device 25 retracts the printing paper 10 from theaccommodating tray 24 into the printer 22 and sends the printing paper10 from the inside of the printer 22 onto the support 26.

Further, a thermal head 28 serving as a thermal recording means isprovided within the printer 22, and an unillustrated light source isdisposed at the upstream or downstream of the thermal head 28. Thislight source is used to fix respective color forming layers applied tothe printing material 18.

A plurality of unillustrated operation keys are disposed on the topsurface or the like of the printer 22. Further, an insertion slot 30 forinserting a recording medium 32 is formed at the front of the printer22. Furthermore, an unillustrated connecting portion for connecting acamera, a computer, or the like (none of which are shown) is provided atthe printer 22.

Next, operation of the present embodiment will be described. Forexample, when operation keys for printing are operated, based on theimage data recorded on the recording medium 32 (including a camera or acomputer), an image is printed onto the printing area 13 of the printingmaterial 18 of the printing paper 10 which has been conveyed from theaccommodating tray 24 by the conveying device 25. Namely, the thermalhead 28 prints an image on the printing material 18 shown in FIG. 1 overthe range of the printing area width L₁. The printing paper 10 with animage printed thereon is conveyed by the conveying device 25 so as to bedischarged to the support 26, as shown in FIG. 3. The sheets 12 areseparated from the printing material 18, and prints are therebycompleted.

In the present embodiment, since the conveying device 25 conveys theprinting paper 10 by nipping the positions of the printing paper 10 eachcorresponding to the margin portion width L₄, the printing paper 10 canbe conveyed more reliably, and formation of defects on the image portioncan be prevented. Further, in the present embodiment, the sheets 12which have been separated from the printing material 18, i.e., thecompleted prints, do not have the margin portions of the prior art.Thus, as photographs, for example, the appearance of the sheets 12 isfavorable.

In accordance with the present embodiment, after print processing iscarried out on the printing area 13 of the printing material 18, a printhaving no margin portions is formed by detaching the sheet 12 from theprinting material 18 along the cut line 20. Therefore, cutting positioncontrolling mechanisms and paper cutting mechanisms as used inconventional printers are not necessary, and the structure of theprinter 22 is made simple. Namely, in accordance with the presentembodiment, since margins can be eliminated by using a simple structure,particularly photographic printers and the like are made compact andinexpensive.

In accordance with the present embodiment, the adhesive layer is formedof the pressure sensitive adhesive. Therefore, even if the sheet 12 ispeeled off the base material 14 during printing or conveying of thesheet 12, the sheet 12 does not adhere to the thermal head 28 or thelike.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cut line 20 shown in FIG. 1 may be formed insuch a way that the transverse direction edge portions of each sheet 12are formed by arranging, in an alternate manner, cut portions 40 andseparating portions 42 separating the cut portions 40. Namely, thetransverse direction end portions of each sheet 12 may be formed byso-called alternate long and short dash lines. Each cut portion 40includes a dot 40A and a line 40B extending in the longitudinaldirection of the sheet 12. The dots 40A and the lines 40B arealternately formed along the transverse direction edge portions of thesheet 12.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cut portions 40 and the separating portions 42are alternately arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveyingdirection of the printing paper 10 (i.e., in the direction of arrow FRin FIG. 4). Namely, the cut portions 40 and the separating portions 42are alternately arranged in the same direction as the longitudinaldirection of the sheet 12. As a result, the sheet 12 is not easilydetached from the printing material 18 during printing.

Although shown as a thick line in FIG. 4, the cut line 20 is formed as athin line, in the same way as in FIG. 1. Further, the shape of the cutline 20 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 4. For example, the cutline 20 may be formed as a broken line, a line with a long dashalternating with two short dashes, or the like, by changing the shapesand the order of the cut portions 40 and the separating portions 42.Furthermore, the cut line 20 formed by the cut portions 40 and theseparating portions 42 may be provided at a portion along the conveyingdirection of the printing paper 10.

Although two sheets 12 are formed on the printing material 18 in theabove-described embodiment, the number of the sheets is not limited totwo in the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, theprinting material 18 may be divided into four so as to form four sheets44. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, one sheet 46 which is slightlysmaller than the printing material 18 may be formed. In other words, thenumber of sheets provided on the printing material 18 can be optionallychanged in the present invention.

Moreover, although the adhesive layer is formed of the pressuresensitive adhesive in the above-described embodiment, adhesive strengthof the adhesive layer may be changed in accordance with the type of theprinting material 18 and the type of the base material 14.

The adhesive 48 in the present embodiment is an adhesive which isconventionally used, such as an adhesive disclosed in JP-A No. 7-214948.Further, the printing material 18 can be coating paper, and the basematerial 14 can be paper, for example. As shown in FIG. 7, the adhesivestrength F1 of the adhesive 48 with respect to the printing material 18is set so as to be smaller than the adhesive strength F2 of the adhesive48 with respect to the base material 14.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, since the adhesive strength F1of the adhesive 48 with respect to the printing material 18 is weak,once the printing material 18 is peeled off the base material 14, theadhesive 48 does not remain on the printing material 18, and theprinting material 18 does not adhere to the base material 14 a secondtime, as in the case in which the pressure sensitive adhesive is used asthe adhesive layer.

Moreover, the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer can be changed byrespectively carrying out surface treatment of the adhesion surfaces ofthe printing material 18 and the base material 14. For example, as shownin FIG. 8, surface roughness of an adhesion surface 18A of the printingmaterial 18 may be increased so as to decrease the contact area withrespect to an adhesion surface 14A of the base material 14. Theoperation and effect similar to those of FIG. 7 are achieved in thiscase as well. In the present invention, the adhesive strength of theadhesive layer may also be changed by coating the adhesion surfaces ofthe printing material 18 and the base material 14 with resin or thelike.

Further, in the present invention, the thickness of the sheet 12, i.e.,the thickness of the printing material 18 can be optionally changed. Inthis case, as shown in FIG. 9, the thickness T₁ of the printing paper 10is set to be the same as that of the printing paper 10 shown in FIG. 2.By setting the thickness T₁ of the printing paper 10 so as to beuniform, when the printing paper 10 is conveyed by the conveying device25, nipping pressure of the conveying device 25 with respect to theprinting paper 10 is made uniform. As a result, the printing paper 10 issmoothly and reliably conveyed.

Namely, in accordance with the present embodiment, the conveying devicesof the printer 22 can be set in accordance with only recording papers(printing papers 10) having the same thickness. Accordingly, a low-costand highly reliable device (printer) can be provided.

In FIGS. 9A and 9B, the thickness T₃ of the pressure sensitive adhesivelayer 16 is the same as that of the adhesive layer in FIG. 2. Thethickness T₁ of the printing paper 10 is made uniform by changing thethickness of the base material 14 in accordance with changes in thethickness of the printing material 18.

FIG. 9A shows a case in which the thickness T₅ of the printing material18, i.e., the sheet 12 is increased as compared with the thickness ofthe printing material 18 in FIG. 2. As the thickness of the sheet 12 isincreased, the strength of the sheet 12 is increased, thereby preventingdamage to the sheet 12.

On the other hand, FIG. 9B shows a case in which the thickness T₆ of theprinting material 18, i.e., the sheet 12 is decreased as compared withthe thickness of the printing material 18 in FIG. 2. As the thickness ofthe sheet 12 is decreased, when a plurality of sheets 12 are stored in asuperposed manner, the plurality of sheets 12 do not become bulky.Therefore, carrying and storage of the sheets 12 are facilitated.

In the above-described embodiment, the printer 22 employs a sublimationtype heat transfer system (thermal system). However, for example,printers employing heat transfer systems other than the sublimation typesystems, printers employing ink jet systems, printers employingelectrophotographic systems, or the like can be used as the printeraccording to the present invention.

As described above, in accordance with the present invention, printingprocessing is carried out on a printing portion of a printing material,and subsequently, the printing portion is detached from the printingmaterial such that a print having no margins is formed. Therefore,cutting position controlling mechanisms and paper cutting mechanismssuch as those used in conventional printers are no longer necessary, andthus the structure of the printer is simplified. Namely, in accordancewith the present invention, since margins can be eliminated by using asimple structure, photographic printers and the like in particular canbe made compact.

1. A method for printing an image on a printing paper by a printer,comprising the steps of: accommodating a printing paper in anaccommodating portion; conveying the printing paper from saidaccommodating portion to a recording device by a conveying device bynipping margins of the printing paper; printing an image on the printingpaper by the recording device; conveying the printing paper from therecording device to a discharging portion by the conveying device bynipping margins of the printing paper; and discharging the printingpaper with the image printed thereon to the discharging portion, whereinthe printing paper includes at least one printing portion and themargins, and a print is formed by detaching the at least one printingportion from the printing paper after the printing paper with the imageprinted thereon is discharged to the discharging portion; and whereinthe step of conveying the printing paper from the accommodating portionto the recording device is performed by nipping the printing paper atsubstantially spaced apart locations so as to avoid nipping the at leastone printing portion of the printing paper; and wherein the printingpaper that is conveyed comprises at least one intermittent cut line inwhich a plurality of cut portions and a plurality of separating portionsseparating the plurality of cut portions are alternatively formed, theat least one intermittent cut line is formed along only one direction ofthe printing paper that is orthogonal to a conveying direction of theprinting paper within the recording device, and a continuous cut lineextending in a longitudinal direction of the printing paper andorthogonal to the at least one intermittent cut line, and the at leastone printing portion is detached from said printing paper along the atleast one intermittent cut line and the continuous cut line.
 2. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein, by setting a predetermined value for thesum of a thickness of a printing material, a thickness of a basematerial, and a thickness of an adhesive layer, a predetermined value isset for the nipping pressure at which the margins are nipped by theconveying device.
 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein therecording device is set to print an image on the at least one printingportion of the printing paper, and the margins allow for errorsgenerated when the recording device prints an image on the printingpaper.
 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the margins areprovided along a direction in which the conveying device conveys theprinting paper.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step ofconveying the printing paper from the recording device to thedischarging portion is performed by nipping the printing paper atsubstantially spaced apart locations so as to avoid nipping the imagereceiving portion of the printing paper.
 6. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the steps of conveying the printing paper from saidaccommodating portion to the recording device and from the recordingdevice to the discharging portion are performed by nipping the printingpaper only in the margins so as to avoid nipping the image receivingportion of the printing paper.
 7. The method according to claim 1,wherein the printing paper that is conveyed comprises: a printingmaterial having a printing portion; a base material for supporting theprinting material; and an adhesive layer that removably adheres theprinting material to the base material, the adhesive layer havingsubstantially no adhesive strength remaining on the printing portionafter the printing portion is detached from the printing material;wherein the printing portion is detached from the printing material soas to form a finished print; wherein the at least one printing portionis defined by the at least one intermittent cut line in which theplurality of cut portions and the plurality of separating portionsseparating the plurality of cut portions are alternately formed; andwherein the at least one intermittent cut line extends substantiallyalong an entire side of the printing portion; wherein the printingportion is further defined by the continuous cut line penetrating theprinting material and extending in a longitudinal direction of theprinting paper, orthogonal to the at least one intermittent cut line,and substantially along another entire side of the printing portion;wherein the continuous cut line and the at least one cut line do not cutthrough the base material, and the at least one printing portion isdetached from the printing material along the at least one intermittentcut line and the continuous cut line; and wherein the printing paper isan individual sheet configured to be fed in a printer, the printer beingfor print media that are individually fed in the printer.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the printing paper is a first printingpaper, and the method further comprises the steps of: accommodating asecond printing paper in the accommodating portion; conveying the secondprinting paper from the accommodating portion to the recording device bythe conveying device by nipping margins of the second printing paper;printing a second image on the second printing paper by the recordingdevice; conveying the second printing paper from the recording device tothe discharging portion by the conveying device by nipping margins ofthe second printing paper; and discharging the second printing paperwith the second image printed thereon to the discharging portion,wherein the second printing paper includes at least one printing portionand respective margins, and a second print is formed by detaching the atleast one printing portion from the second printing paper after thesecond printing paper with the second image printed thereon isdischarged to the discharging portion; and wherein the step of conveyingthe second printing paper from the accommodating portion to therecording device is performed by nipping the second printing paper atsubstantially spaced apart locations so as to avoid nipping the at leastone printing portion of the second printing paper.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 8, wherein the first printing paper comprises a firstbase material layer, a first adhesive layer, and a first printingmaterial layer; the second printing paper comprises a second basematerial layer, a second adhesive layer, and a second printing materiallayer; and wherein the overall thickness of the first printing paper issubstantially equal to that of the second printing paper, with at leasttwo layers of the first printing paper each having a substantiallydifferent thickness than the corresponding layers of the second printingpaper.
 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recording deviceprints an image on the at least one printing portion of the printingpaper, such that the printed image traverses at least one of theintermittent cut line and the continuous cut line.
 11. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the printed image is a photograph.
 12. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the printing paper is configuredfor use with a sublimation type heat transfer system recording device.